The present invention relates to packaging of cans. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device which utilizes a planar surface made of a rigid, foldable material with a plurality of apertures for engaging the upper periphery of a plurality of cans.
Objects of this invention are to provide a device for securing a plurality of cans which is safe for the environment reusable and inexpensive. Further objects of the present invention include providing a can securing device which, when securing a plurality of cans, may be stacked upon other such devices securing cans; which provides a sanitary protective cover over the lids of the cans; which provides surfaces which may be used as an advertising medium and which may be used as a tray to carry opened cans when the device is inverted.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,683 which issued Apr. 16, 1963 to J. W. Harrison shows a prior art device for carrying cans. However that device requires the expensive use of a heatshrinkable plastic film which is not biodegradable. That device is not reusable, nor can a plurality of those devices be stacked upon one another while holding cans.
Another device for carrying cans is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,288 issued on Mar. 27, 1990 to Kenneth R. Dantoin, Jr. However that device does not secure the cans about the upper periphery as does the present invention which provides for easy removal of the can, easy reuse of the device, and the ability to use the device as a tray for the cans when the device is inverted.
A more commonly used device for securing a plurality of cans consists essentially of a piece of thick plastic, usually polyethylene, adapted to fit tightly around the upper portion of a plurality of cans, usually six or eight. The friction between the plastic and the cans prevents the cans from slipping out of the device, thus enabling the plurality of cans to be handled as one unit.
Use of these plastic devices has become environmentally disfavored as they are not biodegradable, nor can they be recycled economically. They have also been found to be a hazard to wildlife such as fish and fowl. When these devices are improperly disposed of, animals have been found to suffocate by becoming entangled in them or by partially swallowing them.
Furthermore, it is impractical to reuse these plastic devices to secure cans after use since the plastic becomes deformed by removal of the can, and because of the tight fitting nature of the device. Besides not being reusable, these devices have a relatively high material cost and provide no space which could be utilized as a means for advertising.
Another drawback to the use of these plastic devices is that the top of the can is left uncovered. Most beverage cans are opened by pressing a tab portion of the lid into the can. This tab portion of the lid is at least partially submerged into the contents of the can, and because it is left uncovered prior to opening the can, it may introduce undesirable contaminants into the contents. Accordingly, there is a need for an inexpensive device for securing a plurality of cans that is not harmful to the environment, is reusable, stackable, provides space for advertising and the like, may be used as a tray when inverted, and is sanitary. The present invention is directed to that end.